Turnstiles (album)
| Length = 36:22 | Label = Family Productions/Columbia | Producer = Billy Joel | Last album = Streetlife Serenade (1974) | This album = Turnstiles (1976) | Next album = The Stranger (1977) | Misc = }} Turnstiles is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on May 19, 1976. Production Joel recorded Turnstiles in part as a celebration of his return to his native New York City. Three of the album's tracks reference New York: "Summer, Highland Falls", "New York State of Mind" and "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)". It begins with "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" (inspired by The Ronettes song "Be My Baby") and also includes "I've Loved These Days", a tongue-in-cheek expression of regret at leaving behind Hollywood decadence. The songs were first recorded at Caribou Ranch (near Nederland, Colorado), with members of Elton John's band (Nigel Olsson on drums and Dee Murray on bass) and produced by Chicago producer James William Guercio. Dissatisfied with the results, Joel took over as producer and returned to New York, where he re-recorded the album in its entirety, with his own touring band, which consisted of Long Island musicians Richie Cannata and the members of the band Topper: Liberty DeVitto, Russell Javors, Howie Emerson, and Doug Stegmeyer. Turnstiles marked the first time that Joel's band played on one of his studio albums. The album cover photo was shot in the Astor Place station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. According to Joel, each of the characters on the album cover was meant to represent a particular song (e.g., the girl in headphones for "All You Wanna Do is Dance," the wealthy couple for "I've Loved These Days"). Critical reception | rev2 = Blender | rev2Score = | rev3 = Christgau's Record Guide | rev3Score = C+ | rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide | rev4Score = }} Robert Christgau of The Village Voice wrote that Joel's craft improves, but "he becomes more obnoxious: the anti-idealism of 'Angry Young Man' isn't any more appealing in tandem with the sybaritism of 'I've Loved These Days.'" In a retrospective review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that "key to the record's success is variety, the way the album whips from the bouncy, McCartney-esque 'All You Wanna Do Is Dance' to the saloon song 'New York State of Mind'; the way the bitterly cynical "Angry Young Man" gives way to the beautiful 'I've Loved These Days' and the surrealistic apocalyptic fantasy 'Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway).' No matter how much stylistic ground Joel covers, he's kept on track by his backing group." Track listing Many tracks have alternate mixes exclusive to the Quadrophonic LP release including "New York State of Mind", "Prelude/Angry Young Man", "I've Loved These Days" & "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)". On the 1998 CD reissue of Turnstiles, the original version of "New York State of Mind" with Richie Cannata on saxophone was replaced with the version featuring Phil Woods on that instrument, which had been released for the first time on the Greatest Hits Volume 1 & 2 compilation album in 1985.http://billyjoel52ndstreetserenade.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/the-great-showdown.html Personnel Adapted from the AllMusic credits. Credits AllMusic|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/turnstiles-mw0000650318/credits|website=AllMusic}} *Billy Joel – piano, electric piano, moog synthesizer, clavinet, organs, harmonica, vocals *Jerry Abramowitz – cover photography *Ken Ascher – orchestral arrangements *John Berg – cover design *Bruce Botnick – mixing *John Bradley – engineer, project supervisor *Jo Buckley – production coordination *Richie Cannata – saxophones, clarinet *Liberty DeVitto – drums *Howie Emerson – electric and acoustic guitars *Russell Javors – electric and acoustic guitars *Mingo Lewis – percussion *Don Puluse – engineer *Brian Ruggles – basic track consultant *James Smith – acoustic guitar *Doug Stegmeyer – bass guitar *Lou Waxman – tape engineer *Phil Woods - saxophone in "New York State of Mind" (on 1998 CD reissue and subsequent issues) Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications References Category:Billy Joel albums Category:1976 albums Category:Columbia Records albums Category:English-language albums